beats me

Idioms  

1. This baffles or puzzles me, as in I don't know how he does it—beats me! This term originally may have alluded to a winning poker hand. It may also be related to the even earlier usage of beat for “astonished” or “at a loss.” [Slang; mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

"If I say to Paddy, 'I'm the best at snakes and ladders', he's going to be playing snakes and ladders for eight hours until he beats me," says Rimmer.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

So I got a trainer — his name is Robbie Egan — and Robbie comes to my house at 5 o’clock in the morning before I start work and beats me up.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

“He beats me some reps, I get him some reps. That’s what it’s all about, that’s the name of the game — getting better,” Neal said.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 30, 2022

“Who is Ibai? I called Agüero for an interview, but Ibai beats me, and if Ibai beats me, I have to retire,” the Argentine announcer Gustavo López said.

From New York Times • Sep. 15, 2021

I open my mouth to answer, but somebody beats me to it.

From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist

Related Words

• baffling
• impenetrable
• inconceivable
• mystifying
• opaque
• puzzling
• unfathomable
• unimaginable
• unintelligible